On February 13th, we celebrated VALENTINE’S / GALENTINE’S DAY with an intersectional cinematic conversation about love and friendship in all its forms.
This was followed by a Valentine’s/Galentine’s poetry workshop run by acclaimed poet and filmmaker Be Manzini.
Our speakers Campbell X (filmmaker – STUD LIFE), Peter Ettedgui (co-director of MCQUEEN), Philippa Lowthorpe (director – MISBEHAVIOUR), Anu Henriques (co-director of ROCKS), performance artist and drag king Kit Griffiths, T A P E Collective’s Isra Al Kassi, producer Uzma Hasan (THE INFIDEL), actor and activist Kyla Harris (The Other Screen) shared their favourite films about love or female friendship – written, directed or based on a book by a womxn.
Here’s a list of the films chosen by our guest speakers – why they chose them and where you can watch them.
Isra Al Kassi’s Galentine’s Day film choice was Caramel by Nadine Labaki: “A wonderful depiction of safe spaces for women in Lebanon where the women come together to talk about their woes and heartbreak. Labaki beautifully depicts non-sexualised intimacy throughout.”
Philippa Lowthorpe’s chose Portrait of a Lady on Fire – Dir Céline Sciamma “This piece of work is exquisite, brilliantly written and brilliantly shot, depicting this electric and erotic connection between two women which burns very slowly and very purely. It’s paced slowly but it’s so tense!”
Peter Ettedgui’s chose The Kids Are Alright – Dir Lisa Cholodenko “Starring Annette Benning and Julianne Moore, as a middle age couple and their marriage is in need of a new spark and they are fighting the prospect of an empty nest…the centre piece is this rather extraordinary dinner scene. About 7 or 8 minutes long. In any other hands it could be television or theatrical but, in this telling, it is utterly cinematic. At root, it’s a film so full of love, compassion and empathy.”
Usma Hasan’s chose Fire – Dir Deepa Mehta “This is the first of Mehta’s elements trilogy and it’s about two neglected wives who are sisters-in-law living together in the family house. These women find solace in one another. I chose this film because it’s depiction of a homosexual relationships feels very distant from the western gaze. It’s just about finding love where it appears to you.”
Campbell X chose Bound – Dir Wachowski Sisters “It’s a modern film noir that’s very very queer and erotic while turning the femme fatale trope on its head. I call Jennifer Tilly who plays Violet the femme vitale….For me, this a real feminist film in that the wayward women do not get punished. I think it’s a really radical look at love and how to smash patriarchy and that’s why I like it!”
Kit Griffiths also chose Bound, and Saving Face – Dir Alice Wu “This is a lovely warm, light, rom-com between a doctor and a ballet dancer based on Wu’s own experiences of coming out, and it is very dear to my heart. I bought this film on DVD from Virgin Mega Stores when I was 17 and I was desperate for a girlfriend but I was fed up. Nobody else was ready to come out and be my girlfriend! I watched it 5 nights in a row! On the 6th night I went out gay clubbing and under-age in Cardiff and I met my first big love. This film encouraged me to go, yeah, I want that. And to go out and find it.”
Kyla Harris chose Ella Glendining’s short film Like Sunday “I chose this because I want to support a fellow disabled, queer filmmaker and it’s a fantastic vignette of a wheelchair user’s night out. You see her doing things which are very transgressive for a disabled person – smoking a cigarette, flirting in a club…it shouldn’t be transgressive but it is. It tell us a wider story about ableism too, in an authentic, honest way”
Anu Henriques chose In My Blood It Runs – Dir Maya Newell “I chose this because it speaks of a different kind of love, a familial love and a love for community and the importance of love within a community. It’s about care and respect for ancestral teachings. Also making the film was a labour of love. The team worked slowly, intentionally and collaboratively and consistently prioritised the aboriginal communities they were making the film about. The families in the film were a part of the official board of advisers and core production partners. They saw all the rushes in the edit and are credited as directors alongside Newell.”
